Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1885-1890, 1887-01-08
''Chinnooks.'

/ Talking about "Chinooks'' it may be of
passing interest to know something about
the tribe Of Indians whose name is the
same with the addition of one n. Wheth-
er the names had any association in dim
unrecorded history it is hard to state; but
certainly the balmy breezes whose congo
NAL presence turns the rigers of winter
into gentle summer are far more accepta-
BILE in this country than the dishgured say
| ages of the same name would be. The
report of Lewis s. Clarke states that these
Chinnooks are commonly of diminutive
stature, badly shaped, and their appear
ance anything but progressing. They
had broad, thick, flat feet, thick ankles and
crooked legs; the latter deformity is as
| cribed, in part, to their universal practice
| of squirting, or sitting on the calves of
their legs and heels, and also to the tight
bandages of beads and strings worn round
J the ankles by the women, which prevent
ed the circulation of the blood, and render
the legs, of the women especially, iil-shap
ed and swollen. Their complexion was
the usual copper-colored brown. Their
noses were small, fiat, wide at the ex-
treInities, with large nostrils and generally
low between the eyes. Their eyes were
black or of dark yellowish- brown. But
the most distinguishing part of their physi-
ogomy, the crowning glory of their ugli-
ness so to speak, was the peculiar fatness
and width OF their foreheads, hideous
characteristic which they owe to one of
those customs by which nature is sacrifc-
ed to fantastic ideas of beauty. The Gus
tom of fiattening the head by artificial
means, during infancy, prevailed among
all the Indian nations which they saw
west of the Rocky mountains. This sing
ular usage, they add, which nature could
scarcely seem to suggest to remote nations,
might perhaps point to the belief in the
common and not very ancient origin of all
the western nations. Such an opinion
might well accommodate itself with the
fact, that while on the lower Columbia
both sexes were universally fatheads, the
custom diminished in receding eastward,
from the common centre of the infection,
till among the remoter tribes, near the
mountains, nature recovered her rights,
and thewasted folly was confined to few
females. Such opinions are weakened
however, by the fact that Columbus was
struck with this peculiarly among the
tribes which he first encountered. The
hair of both sexes was parted at the top of
the head and fell loosely behind the ears,
over the back and shouldera. They used
combs of which they We're very fond, and,
indeed, contriyed, without the aid of th EN-
to keep their hair in very good order. The
dress of the man consisted of a small robe.
to the middle of the thigh. tied
oy string across the breast, with the cor
aers hanging loosely over their arms. The
'obe OF the women was about the same as
hat of the men, except that it did not reach
below the waist. The garment which Gov
'red the body from the waist to the knees.
vas made of bark or twisted cords of silk
,rass, or of flags OR rushes. Their only
lead covering was hat made of bear
,rass and the bark of cedar, interviewer in
on1e form, with knob at the top. Add
all these charms, the female passion for
'ainting their faces and wearing rings in
ars and nose and we have an object than
which nothing in neture can be more dis
ustiDr